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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/27636032">12 things I love about you</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/nbrook/pseuds/nbrook'>nbrook</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Anniversaries [2]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>WTFock | Skam (Belgium)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Anniversary, Fluff, M/M, Post-it Notes, Vrijdag 21:21 anniversary, blink and you'll miss it angst, standalone fic</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-11-20</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-11-20</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-06 18:26:59</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Mature</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>6,387</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/27636032</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/nbrook/pseuds/nbrook</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Sander can't spend the whole day with Robbe on their anniversary, but he still figures out a way to make him fall in love with him all over again.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Sander Driesen/Robbe IJzermans</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Anniversaries [2]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/2016097</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>10</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>122</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>12 things I love about you</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>1. This is legit the sappiest shit I've written</p><p>2. The are some OG easter eggs because I couldn't help myself </p><p>3. I look like a vampire with my eyes bloodshot to hell trying to edit this out and finaly post it</p><p>4. This is a part of a series but you don't have to read the first fic to read this one</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>The sun rays coming through the window hit Robbe straight in the face and he groans in annoyance at his past self who forgot to close the curtains last night before falling face first onto the bed. The bedroom is surprisingly bright for a November morning and it gives him a nagging suspicion that it may not be as early as he thought at first. He reaches blindly for his phone located somewhere amidst the mess on his nightstand and cringes when his hand accidentally knocks over a water bottle making it land on the floor with a heavy thump.</p><p>Oh well.</p><p>With a gargantuan effort he opens his left eye and groans again when the screen light makes a throb of pain shoot through his head. What the <em>hell</em> was he drinking yesterday? He checks the time and doesn’t even feel guilty when it shows 13:21. If his head is pounding so much with 9 hours of sleep, it would have been a fucking hell to wake up sooner.</p><p>Something keeps tickling him on his cheek and half-annoyed he goes to scratch it but his fingers are met with something that feels less like skin and more like… paper? He’s either still drunk and delusional or there really is a piece of paper stuck to his cheek. At first he thinks it’s some stupid joke by Jens, Moyo or Aaron, but then his hungover brain catches up and reminds him that he’s currently in his <em>own</em> bedroom and although he did went home with a boy, it definitely was not any of the broerrrs. </p><p>His curiosity spikes and he plucks the offending piece of paper off his skin, blinking rapidly to get rid of cloudy vision and the rest of sleep to make sense of what he’s reading.</p><p> </p><p>
  <em> Happy first anniversary! &lt;3 </em>
</p><p>
  <em> It’s illegal how much I love you </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em> PS: You’re beautiful when you sleep  </em>
</p><p>
  <em> Even when you’re completely shitfaced :) </em>
</p><p> </p><p>A giant smile takes over his face as he turns on his back, stretching to iron out the kinks in his muscles as he burrows deeper into the sheets. He lazily looks over at the other side of the bed where Sander’s blue pillow still wears a visible dent the shape of his head and his eyebrows shoot up when right in the middle he spots another two post-it notes, this time in light blue color. He lifts himself from his own pillow intrigued and a little confused, and leaning on his elbow runs his eyes over the text.</p><p> </p><p>
  <em> Judging by your state last night I’m guessing you’re not feeling too well right now </em>
</p><p>
  <em> Not gonna lie, that and your mom being on vacation made my plan much easier  </em>
</p><p>
  <em> There’s a pill for your headache on your nightstand, take it, and drink the entire bottle of water I left for you </em>
</p><p>
  <em> Then take a long, nice shower, I promise you’ll feel better </em>
</p><p> </p><p>The next one finally provides him with an explanation.</p><p> </p><p>
  <em> I’m so sorry I can’t spend the whole day with you :( But, fear not! I made sure you’re not gonna miss me too much before we can finally see each other tonight. I wrote you 12 notes with 12 things I love about you to celebrate us being together for 12 months and they are scattered all over your apartment. </em>
</p><p>
  <em> Your quest begins now! </em>
</p><p>
  <em> PS: Did I mention that I love you yet? </em>
</p><p> </p><p>Robbe can feel himself melting into a pile of goo because of course Sander was going to go and do something thoughtful to make up for his absence. He feels a sudden urge to just grab him and kiss him breathless, a pout appearing on his face when he realizes his first chance to do so is several hours away. </p><p>They have plans for tonight, and there’s a special gift ready on his laptop that Robbe’s been working on meticulously for the past several weeks.</p><p>Since he can’t kiss him right this second he does the next best thing and sitting cross-legged on the bed puckering his lips exaggeratedly takes a photo of himself kissing the first post-it note before sending it to him without a second thought. </p><p>He’s shirtless, his hair’s a mess and his face is puffy both with sleep and the amount of alcohol he consumed yesterday but he doesn’t care. Sander has seen him in a worse state.</p><p> </p><p>
  <strong>Me:</strong>
</p><p>You’re so fucking cute</p><p>I love you too</p><p>So much </p><p>Happy anniversary 🥰</p><p> </p><p>
  <strong>Sander:</strong>
</p><p>Oh you’re alive! I was starting to get worried you got alcohol poisoning </p><p>So I’m guessing you’ve found you first present </p><p> </p><p>
  <strong>Me:</strong>
</p><p>Yeah ❤</p><p>Are there more presents? </p><p> </p><p>
  <strong>Sander:</strong>
</p><p>Well duh</p><p>For starters a whole bunch of kisses</p><p>And not only kisses...</p><p> </p><p>
  <strong>Me:</strong>
</p><p>😘</p><p> </p><p>
  <strong>Sander:</strong>
</p><p>Btw you look like a whole snack right now</p><p>Wish I was with you in that bed </p><p> </p><p>
  <strong>Me:</strong>
</p><p>Me too</p><p> </p><p>
  <strong>Sander:</strong>
</p><p>I promise I’ll come straight from the show</p><p> </p><p>
  <strong>Me:</strong>
</p><p>I’ll be waiting</p><p> </p><p>
  <strong>Sander:</strong>
</p><p>❤</p><p> </p><p>Robbe thinks about how disappointed he felt when Sander told him he won’t be able to spend the entire day with him while stomping around with irritation, grumbling about his professor who chose him to help with an art show. But he also knew it was a good opportunity for Sander to meet important people so he pulled him onto his lap to stop his indignant monologue and shut him up with a kiss to make his pout go away. </p><p>Looks like his boyfriend found a way to make up for his absence.</p><p>Robbe sticks the notes together carefully and puts them away on his nightstand creating a small pile so he can then save with other memorabilia that his sentimental self has collected over the last year. Funnily enough, he often teases Sander about his sappiness but he knows that he’s no better. And after his present is finally revealed tonight, he kinda feels like he will have no right to call Sander the sappy one anymore.</p><p>He smiles to himself at the thought, feeling pretty proud at how the video turned out. It was also a huge relief how easy it was to come up with an anniversary gift, since Robbe sucks hard at figuring out presents for his loved ones for various occasions, and it usually ends up in him buying the most basic things or accessories. </p><p>This time, it was as if the heavens decided to give him a break and be kind for him making him stumble upon a random birthday video on youtube one rainy afternoon that a guy made for his boyfriend and it was as if a light bulb went on in his head. </p><p>Just like Sander’s phone was full of photos of Robbe, his own was full of videos of Sander ever since he discovered his passion for editing content. He realized he could totally create something akin to the mysterious Even’s video. </p><p>It took him a few weeks to make it perfect, cold evenings filled with him slouching in front of his laptop and drinking lukewarm coffee and he can’t wait to see Sander’s reaction.</p><p>For now though, his head is still pounding, he realizes with a sigh, even if the pain was momentarily forgotten. He follows through with Sander’s advice and swallows the pill left for him on his nightstand, stretching a little more to ease out the discomfort in his muscles. The shower idea sounds very enticing at the moment, especially when he thinks about the amazing water pressure they now have after his mom decided to renovate their bathroom. He goes to his closet to grab a fresh pair of underwear and notices a neon green post-it stuck to the handle.</p><p>He loves this game already.</p><p>Excited, he lets his fingers trace the elegant handwriting of his artistic boyfriend.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>
  <strong>❤ Thing nr 1. Your smile ❤</strong>
</p><p>
  <em> If I was any good, I could write poems about the way you smile. Nothing makes me more happy than seeing you happy and if you let me, I’m going to spend the rest of my life doing everything I can to make sure that smile never leaves your beautiful face </em>
</p><p>
  <em> S </em>
</p><p><br/>
<br/>
</p><p> </p><p>If all his notes are as sweet as this one he’s eventually going to burst with how it makes him feel. He gives it a quick kiss before putting it away with the rest grabbing his boxers on the way to open the door where there’s another note waiting for him right in the middle.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>
  <strong>❤ Thing nr 2. Your eyes ❤</strong>
</p><p>
  <em> They are just something else. I think the popular term is “doe eyes” but personally, in my humble opinion, it’s an understatement and disgrace to your big, beautiful, chocolate brown eyes that were the first thing I noticed when I saw you for the first time. It hurts me when I see them sad and I love how big your pupils get when you look at me  </em>
</p><p>
  <em> S </em>
</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>It baffles Robbe to this day how all it took for Sander was just a glimpse of him really. Every time he thinks about it, it never fails to make him feel special. Sander in general never fails to make him feel special and creating this sort of scavenger hunt full of differently worded love confessions for him is just such a Sander thing to do.</p><p>His face starts to hurt from smiling too much and it definitely doesn’t help his headache but it’s not like he’s not complaining. His day is already a thousand times better than he expected it to be without Sander being here with him to start their anniversary in style.</p><p>He doesn’t have much planned for the rest of the day except for hanging out with Jens later at the skatepark to avoid just lounging around on his bed and moping for his boyfriend but it’s already 14 so if he wants to do something productive today he should probably get on with that shower sooner rather than later. </p><p>The apartment is unusually quiet with his mom being away and although Robbe’s hangover body appreciates the blissful silence a lot, it sucks that on a rare occasion he has the whole place to himself, Sander isn’t here with him to take full advantage of it. With his mom being home almost all the time and Sander’s parents working remotely from home it’s been a real challenge for them and Robbe has been getting desperate to finally be able to let go completely when his boyfriend is moving in him relentlessly making him see stars without worrying all the time that someone may hear them. </p><p>Needless to say, he has high hopes for tonight.</p><p>He idly scratches his chest, his movements sluggish when turning the tap on. Once his underwear is off and water hits his back it’s like an instant relief for his muscles, soothing the tightness in his neck. It takes him several minutes to start washing up, enjoying the almost scalding hot stream on his skin as he just stands there in no hurry to do more. The steam is quickly covering up the glass doors and he closes his eyes, letting his mind wander.</p><p>At first, it’s just a random string of thoughts, but soon they start to take shape, the images in his head sharper as his mind subconsciously drifts towards brown hair and piercing green eyes, towards long legs and slender chest that is so undoubtedly masculine and he can feel his body reacting without missing a beat. He can almost feel him here, focusing on the memory of Sander’s big hands roaming all over his stomach in this very shower last week, his own combing through the wet brown strands, remembering how completely dishevelled he looked when their eyes finally met. He thinks about how sore his jaw was that day, after they switched places and Sander didn’t exactly go easy on him. Here and now, he lets his hands wander down his body and it all becomes overwhelming in no time.</p><p>Afterwards, when he gets out of the shower on shaky legs, his brain is still swimming in endorphins, his eyes catch the sight of a bright pink post-it glued on the mirror that makes him grin even though he can’t stop his cheeks from flushing.</p><p><br/>
<br/>
</p><p>
  <em> I hope you thought about me in there </em>
</p><p><br/>
<br/>
</p><p>And then:</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>
  <strong>❤ Thing nr 3. Your blush ❤</strong>
</p><p>
  <em> When you blush so prettily for me even after a whole year together </em>
</p><p>
  <em> I love how you gained so much confidence over the last year and yet you still can’t control turning red when we’re alone and I say what I want to do to you  </em>
</p><p>
  <em> S</em>
</p><p>
  <em> PS: I’m gonna take a wild guess and say you’re blushing right now :&gt; </em>
</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>Robbe chuckles as he regards himself in the mirror and sure enough, his flush from the shower now even more prominent. He just can’t help it, it’s like his face is programmed to show exactly how Sander makes him feel. He guesses it’s a good thing that he enjoys it so much. Sometimes a little too much and he teases him mercilessly making Robbe all pouty which is usually quickly remedied with kisses all over his face.</p><p>There’s a short stubble on his face, he notices, and so he grabs his shaving machine to get rid of it. He doesn’t mind it, can go days without doing anything about it, but it gives Sander’s delicate and smooth like a baby’s butt face beard burns so unless they’re not seeing each other on a given day he always shaves it off. Even though Sander thinks Robbe looks hot with a little scruff going on, he’s also the one who then whines about the rash and it makes Robbe feel guilty so smoothness is the way to go.</p><p>He finishes up his morning routine craving coffee asap, praying there’s still some left in the cupboard as he forgot to buy groceries yesterday. On his way to the kitchen he grabs his phone and sends Sander a text, smirking to himself.</p><p> </p><p>
  <strong>Me:</strong>
</p><p>I did</p><p> </p><p>
  <strong>Sander:</strong>
</p><p>?</p><p> </p><p>
  <strong>Me:</strong>
</p><p>Think about you</p><p> </p><p>
  <strong>Sander:</strong>
</p><p>Fuck </p><p>Now I have all kinds of images in my head and this is so not a good time</p><p> </p><p>
  <strong>Me:</strong>
</p><p>🤪</p><p> </p><p>He finds a post-it nr 6 on a kitchen counter, confused as the number suggests he missed somewhere number 4 and 5. This one is stuck on a plastic lid covering a plate full of ready to be grilled croques and Robbe’s stomach grumbles, having been without food for almost 20 hours now. </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>
  <strong>❤ Thing nr 6. Your empathy ❤</strong>
</p><p>
  <em> I love how you love me for me and accept me the way I am, with all my issues. I love how much you care about the people you love, how good and understanding you are to you mom, and how good you are to me, even when I’m at my lowest of lows. I love how you never make me feel like I’m a burden, and how you stay with me, curled up in my bed with me, and tell me that even a hundred times in one night if my brain decides to do everything it can to convince me otherwise </em>
</p><p>
  <em> S </em>
</p><p><br/>
<br/>
</p><p>A shaky breath escapes him when that particular night comes to his mind. </p><p>It was just short after Sander came to his house holding the cutest bouquet of small sunflowers in his hand, all smiles as he kissed him whispering a silent <em>Happy anniversary of the first time I saw you</em> and calling him his sun. They were both so happy and in love that neither saw it coming. </p><p>Two days later Sander couldn’t get out of bed.</p><p>They had been living in their happy bubble for almost a year at that time, and although he did have some bad days here and there, nothing came out of them. The episode coming out of nowhere made Robbe truly realize how unpredictable Sander’s illness was. The first night he was mostly unresponsive but the night after that was one of the most painful experiences Robbe had ever had, listening to his boyfriend thinking so little of himself, crying himself to sleep with Robbe not being able to do anything but to hold him and repeating reassurances, brushing away his own tears of powerlessness against his Sander’s demons.</p><p>The aftermath of that episode lingered with them for a while, Sander’s insecurities that he’s going to leave now when he finally saw him at his worst came back with double force and it took Robbe a while to convince him it wasn’t going to happen.</p><p>The truth is, the episode coming when they least expected it was like a bucket of cold water and it prompted them to sit down and talk about how they’re going to approach it next time, since this time around Robbe was acting blindly not really knowing what he was doing and letting it overtake his entire life which Sander hated and wanted to desperately avoid. </p><p>But in the end, they came out of it stronger than ever and it’s partially a reason why Robbe is so excited about today, because not only did they get through Sander’s first depressive episode but their relationship also survived other difficulties that life threw at them, with lockdown separation being one of them.</p><p>He knows Sander is probably super busy at the moment, his perfectionist professor ordering him around left and right, so instead of writing everything he wants to say to him he just sends a simple ❤, his thumb stroking fondly at Sander’s face stretched in a wide smile that’s currently his screen saver never failing to make him smile as well.</p><p>While at it, he texts his mom to check in and let her know he’s alive and that no, he has not burnt down the place yet, thank you very much. His stomach lets out another angry rumble and the need for food sets him in motion, taking the sandwiches prepared by Sander and grilling them one after another. While he waits for them to be done he makes himself coffee out of the small amount that is left and takes a look around the kitchen but fails to spot other bright post-its. Eight of them are still hidden somewhere and he even peaks into the fridge but comes up with nothing. </p><p>With a plate full of hot toasts, Robbe returns to his bedroom trying to guess Sander’s way of thinking to figure out where he might have put the rest of his notes, his musings interrupted with a notification ping on his phone.</p><p> </p><p>
  <strong>Jens:</strong>
</p><p>See you at 18?</p><p> </p><p>
  <strong>Me:</strong>
</p><p>Yeah but fair warning, I’m just gonna chill today, my stomach won’t like me doing skate tricks</p><p> </p><p>
  <strong>Jens:</strong>
</p><p>You’re such a lightweight 🤣</p><p> </p><p>
  <strong>Me:</strong>
</p><p>🖕🏻</p><p> </p><p>His room feels stuffy, the vodka odor still lingering making Robbe’s face scrunch up and quickly open the window. The breeze of fresh air feels amazing on his heated skin but it’s still November and goosebumps rise all over his body reminding him that he probably should put something on instead of waltzing around in his underwear. He’s pretty sure his sweatpants should be lying somewhere on the floor from where he discarded them yesterday in a rush to meet Sander before the party but they are actually nicely folded on his chair which is suspicious because he definitely did not do that.</p><p>He shakes them up expecting a piece of paper to fall out but nothing happens and that’s just weird cause this has Sander’s fingerprints all over it. Putting them on, he digs his hands into the pockets and sure enough, a purple post-it is waiting for him.</p><p>He snorts when he reads this one.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>
  <strong>🍑 Thing nr 5. Your butt 🍑</strong>
</p><p>
  <em> What can I say, it’s just really perky, it needed to have an honorable mention here </em>
</p><p>
  <em> S </em>
</p><p><br/>
<br/>
</p><p>That dork honest to god drew a peach next to it, because of course he did. Sander’s fascination with that particular part of his body is not exactly news to Robbe, his wandering hands and squeezes when they’re making out speaking louder than words, not that he doesn’t use his words to express how much he appreciates it. It’d be embarrassing if Robbe wasn’t lowkey glad at the attention.</p><p>He honestly doesn’t know what to expect from the rest of those notes because it seems like Sander decided to simultaneously make him cry, laugh, get embarrassed and horny when he was creating them. </p><p>He gets himself comfortable on his bed, reaching for his laptop to watch something on Netflix while he munches on his croques and discovers post-it nr 8.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>
  <strong>❤ Thing nr 8. Your perseverance ❤</strong>
</p><p>
  <em> You get so adorably grumpy when you can’t figure out a skateboard trick or when you can’t get the video you’re editing just right, but I love how you never give up and you try again and again until it works out </em>
</p><p>
  <em> S </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em> PS: While we’re at skateboarding - I can’t believe I went and got myself a Sk8er Boi hehe </em>
</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>Robbe groans at the last line, remembering the teasing he had to endure when he revealed to Sander offhandedly that he had used to listen to Avril Lavigne when he was 13.</p><p>Afterwards, for a few weeks, Sander called him a skater boy on every occasion he got with an absolute delight in his voice, going as far as changing his contact name in his phone to “Sk8er Boi 🛹” and sending him a screenshot of it to rile him up. </p><p>An opportunity for revenge came up just shortly after when one morning Robbe wandered into the kitchen sleepily only to find Sander grilling croques wearing nothing but a pair of black boxer briefs while singing a One Direction song that was coming from the radio, totally oblivious to his presence.</p><p>Excitement spiked in his veins, he thought he was just handed a perfect blackmail material on his music snob of a boyfriend, when Sander turned around, a grin splitting his face in half when he noticed him and completely unfazed continued with the song belting out the lyrics. </p><p>Robbe stood there, dumbfounded, as Sander grabbed his hand to twirl him around and sang to him how <em>They don't know about the things we do, they don't know about the "I love yous"</em>, goofing around with a bottle of ketchup doing as a microphone, and <em>Baby, they don't know us, they don't know aboooouuut us</em> while Robbe laughed hiding his face behind his hands embarrassed at his antics and trying to escape kisses peppered on his cheeks.</p><p>And that’s the story of how Robbe found out that his boyfriend had no shame.</p><p>He giggles when he thinks about that particular morning, how Sander sang the entire song acting like the biggest dork, making exaggerated faces simultaneously flipping the croques on the pan. Afterwards, Robbe jokingly accused him of being so mainstream but Sander just shrugged, unapologetic, and told him it’s not his fault, Robbe just makes him want to sing him all the love songs, no matter how cheesy they are.</p><p>A post-it in his laptop tells Robbe the rest is probably hidden somewhere out of plain sight as well and that Sander was serious when he mentioned a quest in his explanation. For now, he puts on an episode of La Casa de Papel sipping his coffee and hoping that maybe after fueling it with food his brain will help him figure out the rest of the hideouts.</p><p>His phone pings sometime in the middle of the episode and it’s Sander bitching about being used for carrying heavy shit from one place to another and asking for a massage when they meet to heal his sore muscles. </p><p> </p><p>
  <strong>Me:</strong>
</p><p>💪🏻💪🏻💪🏻🏋🏻♂️</p><p> </p><p>
  <strong>Sander:</strong>
</p><p>Is that you suggesting I should hit the gym?</p><p> </p><p>
  <strong>Me:</strong>
</p><p>No you’re perfect 😘</p><p> </p><p>
  <strong>Sander:</strong>
</p><p>Good because we can’t all be as ripped as you</p><p> </p><p>
  <strong>Me:</strong>
</p><p>Haha I’m not ripped</p><p> </p><p>
  <strong>Sander:</strong>
</p><p>Your abs tell a different story baby 🥵</p><p><br/>
<br/>
</p><p>Once the episode ends he eyes the mess in his room critically and decides it wouldn’t be a horrible idea to clean this place up a bit. He finds two new notes in the process, one when he’s stripping the sheets that seen better days and there’s a blue one under Sander’s pillow with:</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>
  <strong>❤ Thing nr 7. Your giggle ❤</strong>
</p><p>
  <em> It’s just the cutest thing </em>
</p><p>
  <em> Even if I tease you about it sometimes :D </em>
</p><p>
  <em> S </em>
</p><p><br/>
<br/>
</p><p>The other is barely sticking out of his (poor) album collection, between "The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars" (a gift from Sander who insisted that he cannot date him unless he possesses a copy of this album) and "A Night at the Opera" (also from Sander because <em>IT’S JUST FUCKING AMAZING, ROBBE</em>).</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>
  <strong>❤ Thing nr 4. Your attention ❤</strong>
</p><p>
  <em> I know I tend to ramble, about art, about music, about many things, but you know how fucking incredible it feels to see you always listening? You listen when I need to vent, when I want to tell you about a silly video, or when I need to rant about a new article about Bowie that is full of shit, you always listen </em>
</p><p>
  <em> S </em>
</p><p><br/>
<br/>
</p><p>Sander has always been telling him that he’s a great listener but Robbe thinks he doesn’t give enough credit to himself. In his opinion, it’s actually the other way around. Sander has been the first person in his life who truly <em>listened</em> to him. Who noticed right away when something was off. Who seemed to have a special instinct to always know when to console him, when to leave him alone, and when to just let him get everything out of his chest and listen.</p><p>He secretly loves that his boyfriend is also his best friend.</p><p>His cleaning mission leads him to a pile of discarded clothes amidst which he finds Sander’s t-shirt so he folds it and goes to put it away in a drawer that Robbe cleaned out for him recently. Inside is a mess because Sander is too chaotic to care about keeping his things in order but hey, it’s not like Robbe is any better.</p><p>His favorite beige sweater that is made with the softest material Robbe has ever seen lies at the top bearing another note.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>
  <strong>❤ Thing nr 11. Your cuddliness ❤</strong>
</p><p>
  <em> I love that you’re my cuddly koala :)) </em>
</p><p>
  <em> S </em>
</p><p><br/>
<br/>
</p><p>Sander calls him that a lot, with such fondness in his voice, but completely ignoring the fact that he’s the exact same way when he’s draped all over Robbe’s back/chest/belly when they’re asleep, squeezing him like his own personal teddy bear and snuffling happily into his skin. </p><p>It’s not a coincidence that that particular note was hidden here because it’s not a secret that Robbe is always extra cuddly when Sander decides to wear that sweater. He can’t help it, he loves the feeling of the material on his skin while he’s rubbing his fingertips and his cheek on it contentedly.</p><p>He does it now too, and yes, it’s still as soft as ever. And the fact that it smells just like Sander is a nice bonus. </p><p>Reluctantly, he leaves it alone before he’s going to give in to his growing urge to put it on and eyes critically his desk. The end of the semester is not even close and he’s already lost in all the pieces of paper and copies that accumulated there. A truly brilliant solution to this problem would be to have a notebook for each subject like a regular person but he just hasn’t brought himself to go and buy them when he doesn’t even go to school this year per se. </p><p>He raises himself up from the floor, knees cracking as if he was 60 not 17 and reaches for the first pile to separate useful stuff from garbage. Once half of the clutter is more less sorted out it reveals a sheet of paper sticking out of the folder lying on the pile of his home assignments and he pulls it out revealing a carbon drawing of him that he recognizes instantly. </p><p>It was the end of Sander’s summer break, both of them lying on his not-so-pristine-anymore sheets with sweat still drying on their skin, catching their breaths, their bodies not yet ready to handle any space between them. Sander’s hand was gently untangling knots in his hair making his eyes droop in contentment, sleepiness overtaking his brain and that’s when he asked him.</p><p>“Let me draw you.”</p><p>Robbe giggled softly. “You draw me all the time.”</p><p>“No, I mean… the whole you.”</p><p>“You want me to pose for you?”</p><p>Sander brushed his nose with his lips to make him open his eyes. “If you want.”</p><p>It took Robbe’s still in a haze brain a few seconds to understand what he really meant.</p><p>“Oh. You mean like… naked?”</p><p>“Only if you want,” Sander emphasized, cupping his cheek. “I promise it’s going to be very tasteful.”</p><p>Robbe hummed, considering it for a second, trying to find a reason why he shouldn’t do it and coming up short. The truth was, the thought of being just laid out there for his boyfriend to draw made him heat up in no time. Still, he had to make sure first.</p><p>“It’s gonna be just for you, right?”</p><p>“Just for me.”</p><p>“Then okay.”</p><p>“Really?” the giddiness in Sander’s voice made his chuckle.</p><p>“Yeah, let’s do it.”</p><p>That put his boyfriend into motion as he pulled away from Robbe’s embrace, hands quickly putting on his discarded boxers while he started to collect necessary supplies.</p><p>“You mean now?!” Robbe sputtered, lifting his head to watch him jumping comically on one leg in a haste to get dressed, his brain now wide awake.</p><p>“Yeah, why not?” </p><p>“Cause I look like a mess right now.”</p><p>Sander turned his head to glance at him while rummaging around in his duffel bag. </p><p>“Uhhh, no, you look absolutely <em>perfect</em>.”</p><p>Robbe spent the next hour lying on his stomach trying to stay still while watching Sander’s unsuccessful attempts at acting professional, the slight blush high on his cheeks betraying him spectacularly as Robbe grew bolder with each passing minute.</p><p>They didn’t get much sleep that night.</p><p>The next day, Sander refused to show him the end result claiming that first he needed to do some finishing touches here and there and that no, Robbe, you can’t have a peak yet. </p><p>Apparently he managed to finally finish it and it looks absolutely amazing.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>
  <strong>❤ Thing nr 9. Your modeling skills ❤</strong>
</p><p>
  <em> You’re my biggest muse but you probably know that, right? Plus, your body was made to be drawn and painted over and over again and I’ll never get tired of it.  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>S</em>
</p><p>
  <em> PS: You’re also the most difficult to draw, jesus! How am I supposed to focus when you’re lying there looking like THAT? </em>
</p><p><br/>
<br/>
</p><p>
  <strong>❤ Thing nr 10. Your boldness ❤</strong>
</p><p>
  <em> You’ve grown so confident over the last year, and I love how unapologetic you are about what you want and how you want it. It turns me on so much when you just take control out of nowhere, but then again, everything about you turns me on </em>
</p><p>
  <em> S </em>
</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>He can’t fucking wait for tonight. It sounds like Sander is in this <em>very particular</em> mood that always means a good time and he has a feeling they won't be spending much time talking.</p><p>The sky outside is completely dark by the time Robbe finishes cleaning and five minutes before he has to leave, the room is pretty much tidied up, the teapot candles he bought for tonight are laid out strategically, and he’s still one post-it short. He’s running out of options and it feels like he looked everywhere but still nothing. Sighing, he reaches for his phone to admit defeat.</p><p><br/>
<strong>Me:</strong>
</p><p>I can't find the last one 🥺</p><p> </p><p>
  <strong>Sander:</strong>
</p><p>Hmm maybe you didn't try hard enough to find it</p><p> </p><p>
  <strong>Me:</strong>
</p><p>I did! I looked all over! </p><p> </p><p>
  <strong>Sander:</strong>
</p><p>🤷🏻♂️</p><p> </p><p>
  <strong>Me:</strong>
</p><p>Please tell me where you put it</p><p> </p><p>
  <strong>Sander:</strong>
</p><p>🤷🏻♂️</p><p> </p><p>
  <strong>Me:</strong>
</p><p>A hint at least</p><p> </p><p>
  <strong>Sander:</strong>
</p><p>I really can't</p><p> </p><p>
  <strong>Me:</strong>
</p><p>But I will never find it!</p><p> </p><p>
  <strong>Sander:</strong>
</p><p>I think we're gonna have to break up then 🤷🏻♂️😬🤔</p><p> </p><p>
  <strong>Me:</strong>
</p><p>Are you really threatening to break up with me on our anniversary?</p><p> </p><p>
  <strong>Sander:</strong>
</p><p>I need to motivate you 😏<br/>
Weren't you supposed to meet Jens?</p><p> </p><p>
  <strong>Me:</strong>
</p><p>Don't change the subject</p><p> </p><p>
  <strong>Sander:</strong>
</p><p>I think you should go out, air out your brain a little, it will give you a fresh start afterwards</p><p> </p><p>Sander is a tiny bit right so glancing accusingly at the room one more time he puts on his jacket and goes out.</p><p>Halfway to the stop Jens texts him again.</p><p><br/>
<br/>
</p><p>
  <strong>Jens:</strong>
</p><p>Hey i'm running late i had to go back home cause i left my phone<br/>
Oh and i need to go to the store on Rijnkaai cause my mom asked me to pick up her order<br/>
Meet me in the store?</p><p> </p><p>
  <strong>Me:</strong>
</p><p>Where is it exactly?</p><p> </p><p>
  <strong>Jens:</strong>
</p><p>Right around the corner of your ugly face</p><p> </p><p>
  <strong>Me:</strong>
</p><p>🖕🏻</p><p><br/>
Ugh fine I'll meet u there</p><p><br/>
<br/>
</p><p>The tram ride is quicker than usual meaning he will have to wait for Jens longer than he anticipated. He crosses the street walking sluggishly and checks his phone for any new messages from Sander but there’s still nothing meaning he’s probably too busy to answer.</p><p>He zips his maroon jacket up to his chin as the coldness seeps in making him shiver. Sitting on concrete watching Jens skate doesn’t sound like such a good idea anymore considering the chilly weather but he’s already here so it’s not like he’s going to just go back home. So he just keeps walking, cursing himself for not bringing the headphones when he turns around the corner and stops dead in his tracks.</p><p>There has been an update to his mural.</p><p>Right next to his face breaking the wall is an inscription.</p><p><br/>
<br/>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <strong>Thing nr 12. You  </strong>
</p><p>
  <em> I can’t believe I found you </em>
</p><p><br/>
<br/>
</p><p> </p><p>“I got to twelve and I ran out of numbers.”</p><p>Robbe is so focused on this new development that he positively jumps at the voice coming from behind him. </p><p>“So I just put "you" because it sums it up pretty well.”</p><p>Sander looks at him with a fond smile, hands stuffed in his pockets as he shrugs standing there all casual as if the words leaving his mouth weren’t turning Robbe’s insides into a pile of goo. </p><p>Before he can say anything else, Robbe closes the distance between them with a quick step and attacks him with a kiss almost making him topple over. Sander chuckles at his enthusiasm, gently cupping his cold cheek with one hand and pulling him closer at the waist with the other, slowing the kiss down but also deepening it at the same time. </p><p>It’s already dark outside but they’re standing right in the spotlight from the nearby lanterns, in a plain sight, but Robbe has no intention of letting that little fact disrupt their impromptu makeout session. He has been waiting an entire day to show Sander how much he appreciates everything he told him through the notes. He’s at loss of words to express how loved he feels so he desperately tries to pour all these pent up emotions into the kiss, possible onlookers be damned.</p><p>“I’ll take a wild guess and say you enjoyed this little game then,” Sander whispers a little breathless against his mouth when their lips finally part.</p><p>Robbe nods with a smile, resting his forehead on Sander’s rosy from cold cheek. “You’re amazing, you know that?”</p><p>“I’ve been told, yes.”</p><p>They both laugh at his cocky tone and Robbe pecks his lips one more time, the sigh escaping Sander’s mouth making him linger a little longer. </p><p>“I’m so in love with you,” Robbe’s voice is quiet, soft, not wanting to break their bubble.</p><p>Sander gives him a bashful smile as if that piece of info is somehow news to him but his eyes are shining with happiness and that’s all Robbe cares about. He trails his hand on his jaw and comes a little closer allowing their noses to brush making Robbe giggle.</p><p>“So what did you have to do to make your professor agree to let you out early?” </p><p>Sander shrugs. “I’m a very tough negotiator.”</p><p>Snorting, Robbe gives his hair a playful tug. “Yeah, that or you’re actually a teacher’s pet.”</p><p>“Hey now, it’s not my fault everybody loves me!”</p><p>“Well I’m really happy your charm worked. Now I got you all to myself.”</p><p>Sander wiggles his eyebrows, leering at him as he gives Robbe’s hips a tight squeeze. “I’m all yours tonight.”</p><p>He can only respond with a coy smile and a quiet “Sounds good,” his hand searching for Sander’s hand and locking them together.</p><p>“But seriously, thank you. Those notes were the sweetest thing.”</p><p>“I can be sweet occasionally,” Sander shrugs, feigning nonchalance, but there’s a smile ghosting on his lips and Robbe rolls his eyes with fondness.</p><p>“And this?” he nods at the mural that is now adorned with a new addition. ”When did you even do it?”</p><p>“I had a very busy and very early morning,” he chuckles, his tongue poking his cheek, “but I couldn’t really sleep anyway cause you were snoring so loud I’m pretty sure they heard you in Brussels.” </p><p>Robbe takes advantage of their intertwined hands and pinches the skin on his forefinger which results in Sander letting out a squeak.</p><p>“You’re a menace,” he blows on his finger as if he had an actual wound, looking at him all pouty. </p><p>Robbe snorts at his antics. “Oh my god you’re so dramatic.”</p><p>“So ungrateful, I got up so early and got Jens involved and all.”</p><p>“But I am so grateful! I love it,” he gestures at the mural before kissing him to placate him, even though he knows he’s just teasing. “Come, I wanna take a picture.”</p><p>They take a selfie with the inscription in the frame, Robbe turning his head at the last second to kiss the apple of Sander’s cheek. </p><p>“Can I post it?” he asks, scrolling through the photos and loving how they turned out.</p><p>Sander nods, pressing a kiss to his temple and keeping him close and Robbe can feel his eyes on him as he’s adding the caption.</p><p> </p><p><strong>sterkerdanijzer</strong> <em>I</em> <em> was born to love you </em>♥️</p><p> </p><p>He locks their hands again when he sees Sander getting emotional and leans in to capture his lips in a kiss.</p><p>“Let’s go home.”</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Comments are love 💛💞💛</p></blockquote></div></div>
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